DNA linked Matthew D'Breeze Mason to shooting death of Adrian Chavez, according to criminal complaint

AMARILLO — Potter County authorities on Tuesday charged an Amarillo man with murder in the Easter Sunday shooting death of an east Amarillo convenience store owner after a state crime lab linked the suspect’s DNA to a Halloween mask found near the store.

The DNA on the mask linked Matthew D’Breeze Mason, 19, to the April 8 shooting death of Adrian Chavez, 47, the owner of La Esquina convenience store, 1500 N. Mirror St., according to a criminal complaint.

Potter County jail officials said Mason was arrested Tuesday. Prosecutors have recommended his bond be set at $500,000, court records show.

Amarillo police located the black and white Halloween mask the morning after the robbery in a Dumpster located in the 1800 block of North Houston Street, less than a half-mile north of the store, according to the complaint.

About 10:15 p.m. April 8, two black men entered La Esquina convenience store on 1500 N. Mirror St., and one man shot Chavez, police said. Chavez’s wife, Maria, said a gunman fired a single shot into Chavez’s chest, killing him.

Chavez died of a gunshot wound to the chest, according to an autopsy report.

When the couple’s 15-year-old son walked out of a bathroom, the two men fled without taking anything, Maria Chavez said after the shooting.

Surveillance footage taken from the store showed one of the people wearing what appeared to be a black and white Halloween mask, the complaint said.

An eyewitness described seeing two dark figures fleeing the scene and heading north, the complaint said.

An eyewitness who knows Mason told officers he saw Mason at a park about 1.3 miles from the store walking south toward the store earlier that evening, the complaint said.

Amarillo SWAT officers arrested Pshard Andre Smith, 17, on April 12 after an eyewitness identified the teenager from a photo lineup. Prosecutors originally charged Smith with fatally shooting Chavez, but that charge was later dismissed.

A Potter County grand jury indicted Smith on a murder charge May 16 in connection with the shooting, but he was released from custody July 31 after his case was dismissed, jail officials said.

If convicted of murder, Mason faces a possible prison sentence of five to 99 years or life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

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but was saddened to learn some kid spent three months in jail on a murder charge when he was innocent. If the mask hadn't been found, it's possible this kid would have been tried and convicted because someone couldn't make a valid identification.

Because I've known them both since elementary, 2nd grade on...and nevermind, you are probably right...you should feel sorry for him instead of the father who was killed on Easter while trying to provide for his family while these two were out to rob and murder...if Rush has opposing views to your liberal, let murders go free views, then I say: Rush for President!!! & keep reading the news, you'll see the other poor, poor, innocent Smith again...for your sake I hope it doesn't involve you or your family...or maybe you could adopt him or have him move in with you since he's an innocent victim of the corrupt, prejudiced, judicial system...do you really think the police pick him up because he was such an upstanding young man??!! You are ignorant to a fault. I'm sure you are still believing Benghazi was the result of a video...? Oh and so you know, OJ was innocent too!

Dear Dear me!.......Jezzbuzz and rettch, you let your leanings show there. Apparently, thetruthbeknown does no this person better than either of you and me, and because his opinion does not tie in with your belief system you automatically discount his opnion based on his political beliefs.

His opinion on this, and maybe other things is based on a strong knowledge base, both of yours apparently is based on bias and scant information.